


Of Bets and Longing Glances

by Silent_So_Long



Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-12
Updated: 2011-12-12
Packaged: 2017-10-27 05:40:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/292222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silent_So_Long/pseuds/Silent_So_Long
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Jim and Leonard are obviously in love, yet are not together, members of the Enterprise bridge crew place bets upon when they get together and Jim is almost sacrificed upon an altar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Bets and Longing Glances

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the following anonymous prompt left on buckleup_meme - Jim and Bones are STUPID in love w. each other, like, longing glances, charged silences, "accidentally" falling asleep in each other's bunks, hugging and holding on for juuust a bit too long, the whole 9 yards. They're so deep in love the whole crew is wondering when the hell are they going to get it together. Spock decides that this really drops the efficiency of the crew by an unacceptable margin, and takes it upon himself to match-make. Like a boss. Because it is only logical to be with the one you love. So I'd like to see Jim and Bones reach their happily ever after as a result of direct machinations by Spock. Could see this working as a 5-and 1, but however you wanna play it anon.

~ 1 ~

“So, how long d’you think it’ll be til those two finally get it together?” Uhura asked, absently, as she fiddled with the salad in front of her.

“And just who are you referring to, Nyota?” Spock asked, eyes already darting towards Jim and Leonard sitting across the rec room.

“Don’t give me that, Spock. You know better than I do who I’m talking about,” Uhura replied, rolling her eyes at the blank faced Vulcan sitting next to her.

“Might I remind you, Lieutenant, that there is a crew in excess of four hundred people aboard the Enterprise. To narrow it down to just two people would be near on impossible and highly presumptuous on my part,” Spock observed.

Uhura sighed noisily and ripped the end off a carrot with her teeth to avoid doing the same to Spock’s head. She chewed, teeth crunching satisfactorily into the carrot while Spock sat patiently silent beside her.

“The captain and our resident CMO, of course,” Uhura said finally, as she swallowed the last of her mouthful. “They’re so painfully in love, it would be sickening if it wasn’t so darn cute.”

“Cute,” Spock pronounced carefully, as though the sentiment was completely lost upon him, and perhaps it was.

“Yeah, cute, Spock. I guess you wouldn’t know about that, being an illogical emotion,” Uhura said, giving up while she was still ahead. “I just think it’s nice, but I wish they’d just stop pussy-footing around and just get it together already. I mean, look at them, just for a minute, and you’ll see what I mean.”

Spock raised one eyebrow at Uhura artfully, before he turned all of his considerable attentions upon Jim and Leonard across the room. He folded his hands before him on the table, lips pursed slightly as he watched the two men chatting animatedly while eating their lunch. Jim kept stealing odd fragments of Leonard’s cornbread and grits, while Leonard himself pretended not to notice what the cheeky captain was doing. Jim kept staring at Leonard’s mouth while the doctor was talking, only dragging his gaze away every so often with an effort to focus overly long upon Leonard’s eyes.

Their touches, when they occurred, lingered, Jim’s hand a brushing presence against Leonard’s arm and Leonard’s hand a lingering touch upon Jim’s shoulder, conversation clearly blocking everyone else but themselves from out of the fold of words passing between them. The fact that Leonard seemed to also have a fascination with Jim’s mouth did not escape Spock’s attention. The fact that Leonard seemed to be smiling more during the conversation with Jim did not escape Spock’s attention either, considering that Leonard was more often seen with a stern frown whenever he was on duty. Spock then realized that he’d never seen Leonard smile when he wasn’t with Jim. It seemed as though the captain brought out the best in one Leonard H McCoy.

“The doctor appears to be smiling,” Spock observed finally.

Uhura muffled a scream into her lettuce before resisting the urge to just stab Spock with her fork.

“Is that all you can say? McCoy’s smiling more? I think there’s more to it than that,” she said, in disbelief. “Trust me, Spock, two people don’t touch each other half as much unless they fancy the pants off each other.”

“Who are you talking about? Jim and the doctor?” Gaila asked, as she flumped herself down opposite Uhura.

Uhura shot Spock a triumphant look, as though one glare could convey just how she felt about Gaila catching wind of what was happening and she hadn't even been a witness to the conversation.

“She’s an Orion,” Spock said, in response to Uhura’s glare.

“What does being an Orion have anything to do with knowing when two people are in love?” Gaila asked, in baffled curiosity, one perfectly cooked fry raised halfway to her mouth.

“Your entire race is given over to pleasure, Gaila. You would pick up on things like love or lust quicker than anyone else,” Spock observed quietly.

“That’s garbage, Spock, and you know it,” Uhura huffed. “I’m not an Orion, might I remind you. I’m from Africa and I still picked up on how Kirk and McCoy felt.”

“Fascinating,” Spock replied, as he stared over at Jim and Leonard again.

Jim was just reaching forward to wipe some sauce away from Leonard’s cheek, long fingers dabbing skilfully long after the sauce had gone.

“It’s so romantic,” Gaila sighed, lustily, fluttering long eyelashes happily over at them.

“When d’ye think they’re gonna do something aboot that?” Scotty commented, with a groan as he sat beside Gaila. “Really, it’s gone on long enough between Jim and Dr McCoy. I think we should start placing bets or somethin‘.”

“That would be highly illogical, Mr Scott,” Spock said, firmly, turning what equated to a Vulcan glare upon the chief engineer,

“What? I’m only sayin’, Spock,” Scotty replied, as he carefully bit into his burger. “It’ll help to pass the time til they finally do something about it. It‘s a bit o‘ fun.”

Spock merely raised one eyebrow, but remained initially silent upon the subject, allowing Scotty to run on about bets and wagers and how many credits they should each put in. Eventually, after the bets had each been worked out to everyone's satisfaction, Spock engaged the engineer upon the subject of heightened efficiency of the warp drive, leaving Gaila and Uhura to coo and gush over Leonard and Jim across the room.

~ 2 ~

Leonard strolled onto the bridge, hands occupied with the medical text he was currently perusing, brows pulled low over thoughtful hazel eyes as he read. Spock barely gave the doctor any attention, all too used to Leonard’s presence upon the bridge by now to comment.

Spock continued to reel off facts and figures about the planet they were currently orbiting, stating that Rivellan was a typical class M planet, ripe with rainforests and indigenous life forms. Jim had been listening prior to Leonard’s appearance on the bridge, yet when the familiar broad shouldered form of the doctor cleaved into view, Jim’s attentions wandered, blue eyes riveted upon Leonard unwaveringly.

Spock continued, speaking a little louder despite the fact that he suspected that Jim was no longer listening, leaning in a little closer to speak more directly into the captain's ear. Still Jim didn’t take any notice, eyes raking slowly over Leonard’s body, stopping to scope out how the doctor’s trousers clung to his hips and ass, and the way that Leonard seemed to almost purposefully bend over, angling his ass into Jim’s direct line of sight. Jim shifted uncomfortably upon the captain's chair, crossing his legs and placing one balled fist in his lap, tongue darting out to moisten his lower lip nervously.

He was still watching when Leonard turned around, eyes immediately seeking out Jim’s and a small smile crooking at the corners of the doctor’s mouth. Neither spoke, and the silence stretched on for seemingly forever. Spock coughed loudly and continued talking, irritation edging his words as he tried to recapture Jim’s lost attention. Jim still didn’t take any notice, instead watching as Leonard wandered over to Uhura, who also seemed to be watching Jim with a smile upon her face. Jim blinked back at her but continued watching Leonard.

“Jim, are you even listening to this?” Spock finally asked, hand descending roughly upon Jim’s shoulder.

Jim flinched away as though expecting a Vulcan nerve pinch, and he turned his attentions back towards the ominously glowering face of Spock.

“Are you glowering at me, Spock?” Jim asked, in surprise, surprised that the usually taciturn and expressionless Vulcan even showed that much of his emotions.

Usually Spock was more reserved and in tighter control of himself than that.

“That would be highly illogical, Captain. I am a Vulcan. I do not know how to glower. I am merely trying to deliver the report you requested, yet you have clearly not been listening to me,” Spock rejoined, a little testily.

“I was, too. You were saying something about Rivellan being an M class planet,” Jim said, defensively.

“Yes, Jim, but that was five full minutes ago. I gave you a lot more information than that,” Spock replied, with an arch lift to his eyebrow.

Jim pulled a guilty expression, before he gestured for the Vulcan to continue. Spock raised one eyebrow at him, yet still gave Jim a recap of all that he’d said prior to Jim’s returned concentration. Even then, Spock wasn’t entirely convinced that Jim’s attention was solely upon him. He suspected that while one half was upon him, the other half was divested, as usual, upon Leonard still loitering nearby. Spock sighed and continued unabated, however, glad when Jim was coherent enough to demand an away team to beam down to Rivellan’s surface.

~ 3 ~

“Dammit, Spock, what d’you mean, Jim’s gone missing?” Leonard shouted into the Vulcan’s too calm face.

“Exactly what I said, Doctor. We went down to the surface of Rivellan, Jim wandered off for a mere few seconds and never came back,” Spock replied, voice as inflectionless as ever.

“Are you out of your Vulcan mind? Didn't you think to look for him?” Leonard asked, striding back and forth in agitation before the Vulcan.

“I assure you, Doctor, that we did everything within our power to find Jim again. In fact, Scotty and Uhura are still looking now with the members of the security team we beamed down with. I returned to do more extensive searches aboard,” Spock replied.

“Dammit, dammit all to hell. D’you know what this means to the Enterprise if something happens to the Captain?” Leonard yelled, whirling upon the Vulcan behind him with such force Spock actually stepped away.

“I don’t think the Enterprise is the only one with a vested interest in the captain, sir,” Spock said, quietly.

“What the devil does that mean? Is this more of your pointy eared bastard mysticism again?” Leonard asked, voice turning cold as he stopped stock still in front of Spock.

“Nothing like that, Doctor. It was merely an observation. You are - friends with him, aren't you?” Spock asked, carefully. “Your current irrational and emotional state would indicate otherwise, however.”

Leonard’s jaw clenched as he balled his fists by his side and narrowed his eyes at the Vulcan. He didn’t immediately address the implications held within Spock’s words, merely avoided them for the time being. The Vulcan, meanwhile, watched Leonard closely, dark brown eyes watching every shift and movement in Leonard’s frame, knowing that while the doctor may not say as much aloud, there was something within him that wished to protect Jim, that thought of him as more than a mere friend.

“Sure, Jim‘s my friend. I’d even go as far as saying he’s my best friend,” Leonard replied, voice pitched low and dangerous. “The fact remains, regardless of how I feel about him, that we need to get Jim back.”

“I do agree with you, sir, although I feel that you are not being entirely honest with me,” Spock replied, innocently.

“I don’t know where you’re going with this, Spock, but this is hardly the goddamned time,” Leonard barked. “I’m beaming down. I’ll find Jim.”

“I am quite sure that you will,” Spock said, calmly. “If you would be so kind as to wait a few moments, I will perform the aforementioned scan upon the surface of Rivellan, then perhaps we will have a clue as to where to start.”

Leonard looked as though he didn’t want to wait any longer, fists clenching so tightly by his sides, his knuckles bled white. Somehow, he found it within himself to rein in his anger and he nodded curtly towards the Vulcan once.

“Just don’t dilly-dally about, you damn elf,” Leonard growled as he followed in Spock’s rather fast footsteps.

“I never dilly-dally, Doctor,” Spock said, shortly, completely ignoring the elf jibe for now.

Leonard grumbled inarticulately beneath his breath even as he followed Spock onto the Bridge and settled back to wait for the Vulcan’s scan results.

~ 4 ~

The sounds of throbbing drums filled the air around Spock and Leonard’s ears, as they beamed down from the Enterprise onto the top of a pyramid jutting up out of lush rainforests. In every direction, they could see trees stretching as far as the horizon, yet it wasn’t for the view that they had arrived in that particular spot. Instead, they had come for the more pressing matter of Jim’s disappearance.

Leonard looked around, eyes darting over scantily clad humanoid shapes, wearing nothing but loin cloths about their slender hips. Chanting accompanied the drums, ebbing and flowing around his own body and Spock‘s. Beneath the noise and the confusion, Leonard could hear Spock’s continued conversations with the rest of the away team over the communicator, urging them to come as quickly as they could. All Leonard could see, however, was Jim.

Jim was in the middle of the top of the pyramid, prone form spread-eagled over a stone altar, torso naked and gleaming in the sunlight. Leonard surged forward, phaser set to stun as he barrelled through the milling, dancing Rivellan natives, little caring for his own safety. He heard Spock’s shout of his name behind him, yet he paid the Vulcan no heed. Instead he ploughed on, finally reaching Jim and standing over him to shield him as best as he could from what Leonard assumed was the high priest of the Rivellan tribe. The High Priest was wielding a stone bladed knife, scribing sigils in the air ceremoniously over Jim’s exposed abdomen, before Leonard knocked him away with one arm. The priest surged forward, speaking in a language Leonard couldn’t understand, knife held perilously close to Leonard’s neck.

“Wrong place, mister,” Leonard growled. “That wouldn’t be a killing blow. try further to the left, if you wanna kill me.”

“Doctor,” Spock said firmly from nearby. “This is highly inadvisable behaviour.”

“Not so when Jim’s in danger,” Leonard replied, immediately, as the drums, the chanting slowly ebbed away, leaving the rest of the tribes people staring at the intruders. “You wanna do something, maybe? Or would it be illogical for you to do so?”

Spock didn’t respond, instead he tensed, phaser at the ready, eyes dodging from the way Leonard was protecting Jim, to the way he was being menaced by the knife wielding priest. One slight movement from the priest was enough to cause Spock to shoot, phaser beam slicing through the air to immobilise and stun the priest. Almost immediately, a fight broke out, tribes people surging around them, attempting to hurt first Spock, and then the doctor and the man Leonard was trying to protect.

Somewhere amidst the melee, Uhura and Scotty arrived, phasers drawn and blasting through the masses, various red shirts following in their wake. Uhura took no prisoners, easily felling many before she even reached Spock’s side. Leonard joined the fray, sticking close to Jim’s side and keeping wayward tribesmen from harming the captain.

In amongst the fighting, Jim stirred, loud groan cutting through the noise and reaching Leonard’s ears easily. Leonard turned, immediately reaching for his tricorder and checking the captain over, hands continuously stroking against Jim‘s exposed skin to make sure that the captain was okay. Once he was satisfied that Jim was largely unharmed, while groggy still, Leonard cut the other man free and supported him while he stood.

He nodded to Spock, who gave the order for the Enterprise to beam them aboard. The familiar stretch and ice-cold burn of transportation stretched at Leonard’s body, yet still he kept a tight hold upon Jim’s body. He continued to support Jim even as they walked from the transporter bay upon the Enterprise, whereupon Jim pulled Leonard into a long and lingering hug.

“Thanks, Bones,” Jim murmured into his ear, taking his time in releasing the doctor.

Uhura merely walked past them, grinning widely.

~ 5 ~

The following morning, Spock bumped into Leonard walking nonchalantly out of Jim’s quarters, smiling slightly to himself as he did so. Spock raised a silent eyebrow at the doctor yet said nothing.

“What?” Leonard asked, gruffly, brows pulled down into a frown, despite the fact that his mouth still curled into a smile.

Spock found the look a little unsettling, yet his tone was as officious as ever.

“Well, it is not every morning I am accustomed to you coming out of the captain's quarters,” Spock observed. “May I ask why you were doing so?”

Leonard blinked at him, before he said - “I don’t see as to how that is any damn business of yours.”

“If I may remind you, I did assist you on rescuing Jim yesterday,” Spock reminded him, calmly. “Besides everything else that has been happening lately. “

“Everything else? I wasn’t aware that anything else was happening,” Leonard said, a look of confusion replacing the smile and frown of earlier.

Spock stared at Leonard for so long that Leonard doubted the Vulcan would ever answer. Then Spock did.

“Quite,” he said, blinking slightly at Leonard, in a way that indicated he still wasn’t quite sure what to do with baffling multitudes of humanity. “Might I inform you of the bets that are being placed upon you, even now?”

“Bets? What sort of bets, man?” Leonard asked, blinking at the Vulcan in confusion.

“I would like to point out quite vociferously that it was Mr Scott’s idea originally to partake in the crude act of betting,” Spock said, carefully.

“Yeah, well, Scotty would bet on the speed of condensation trickling down the side of a beer bottle,” Leonard said, with a long suffering sigh over the irrepressible yet kindly engineer. “That’s nothing new. What the devil is he betting on now, anyway?”

“You, actually, or more specifically you and Jim,” Spock expanded, gravely.

“Me and Jim? Why?” Leonard asked, gaping at Spock in open and genuine confusion.

Spock lifted both eyebrows that time, an expression of extreme surprise in the Vulcan.

“I am surprised that you do not know the answer to this yourself,” he replied. “After all, it has been the pair of you who are in need of getting it together, as Nyota so aptly put it.”

“Nyota Uhura said that?” Leonard asked.

“And Gaila, and Mr Scott and pretty much everyone else on board,” Spock replied. “In fact, it was getting in the way of crew morale and effectiveness. Mr Scott was collecting what he described as sweepstakes as when exactly you two would get a clue and just start dating, apparently.”

“Scotty did?” Leonard asked, mouth agape. “Well, I’ve never heard of such goings on in my life.”

“But you do not deny that you have very obvious feelings for the captain?” Spock insisted, pressing the issue beyond all possible means.

“Obvious? Obvious? Is it really that damn obvious?” Leonard spluttered.

“I would say it most definitely was, Doctor,” Spock returned, cordially. “It was quite blatant in fact. I would go so far as to say the feelings were reciprocated, judging by the way that Jim cannot keep his eyes nor hands from your person.”

“Jim?” Leonard asked. “Really? I think I need a drink.”

“I think you need to ask the captain out on a date, post haste, doctor,.” Spock suggested.

“After I’ve had a goddamned drink, Spock. This is all a little too much to take in, right now. Bets and sweepstakes, my ass,” Leonard grumped, as he stomped down the corridor in high dudgeon. “Wait till I get my goddamned hands on that Scottish engineer. I’ll rip his damned kilt off!”

“Highly inadvisable, Doctor. largely due to the fact that Mr Scott rarely wears a kilt. Enjoy your drink,” Spock called after him, before walking off in the opposite direction.

Little did either Spock or Leonard realise that Jim had heard the whole conversation, a pensive look upon his face as he leant against the open door of his quarters.

~ +1 ~

The strident sounds of a Terollian bar surrounded Leonard and Jim in their own little cocoon of seeming privacy in a crowd. Leonard was leaning against a wall, shoulders flat and supporting his weight easily, as he sipped from his bourbon. Jim was standing next to him, the length of his body a warm comfort pressed against his own. After Spock’s words of the day before, Leonard had been overly-conscious of Jim’s continued presence within his sphere of reality, of the way their eyes connected on more than one occasion throughout the day, and of the many times which they touched one another, It seemed easy, too easy yet Leonard didn’t want things to change; instead, he was hyper-aware of how much further he wanted their relationship to progress.

“I never did get to say thanks for yesterday, you know,” Jim said, leaning in that little bit more so that his mouth was inches form Leonard’s cheek, breath a warm pressure against Leonard’s skin.

Leonard ached to turn his head, to press needy lips against the captain's own, to feel the soft pressure of Jim’s mouth and to have Jim respond. Yet he didn’t despite hearty cat-calls from Scotty, Gaila and Uhura nearby.

“No worries, Jim,” Leonard said, shortly, steadfastly refusing to turn even the slightest little bit.

“You just about saved my life there,” Jim pressed. “I owe ya, big time, ya know.”

“Listen, what is this all about, Jim? I get you wanted to throw a party for surviving yet another mission, but you don’t usually bother,” Leonard said, turning then, lips a fraction from Jim’s.

The world seemed to slow down even more when Leonard’s gaze caught Jim’s bright blue and interested gaze.

“And here was I thinking it was usually you who said shore leave was healthy, Bones,” Jim replied, amusement colouring his tone and making his words warm and pettable.

Leonard shuddered, need crashing through him, want to possess this man before him, to feel him against him, to kiss him.

“Dammit, Jim,” Leonard growled, before he crashed forward, fisting one hand in Jim’s hair and claiming Jim’s mouth with his own.

Jim responded immediately, eyes clamping shut and mouth parting slightly to admit Leonard’s probing tongue. Jim had always assumed that Leonard would be a good kisser, yet he was unprepared with how good the man actually was. Leonard was possessive, needy, claiming and so, so hot. Jim pushed back, probing Leonard’s mouth with his tongue, slick slides against one another while Leonard produced the most delicious purring moans against him. Jim broke away first, lips swollen with kisses, eyes lust-blown and he was gratified to note that Leonard looked as wrecked as he felt right then.

“Jim,” Leonard said again, and his voice was harsh and choked.

“I heard,” Jim said.

“What? Heard what, kid?” Leonard asked, sounding fuzzy-headed and not quite coherent.

“Your conversation with Spock yesterday. I heard it,” he said. “Spock was right you know. It isn't all one sided.”

“Why didn’t you do anything, damn you? D’you know how long I’ve wanted you? Wanted to kiss you?” Leonard asked, pushing against Jim’s chest and further pressing him against the wall.

Jim went willingly, enjoying the press and push of Leonard’s larger frame against him and he purposefully ground his hips against Leonard’s. The other man’s face went slack and unfocussed at the contact, breath harsh and blasting against Jim’s cheek. Jim rested one hand against Leonard’s back, angling him in with a half hug, possessive all the same. Leonard melted into him, eyes hooded now, one hand resting possessively against Jim’s hip.

“I know, Bones. I should have said something. I just didn’t know how you’d react. You weren’t the only one who thought it was one sided,” Jim confessed. “I want you, Bones, more than I can say.”

Leonard leant in for another kiss then, lips tender, then less possessive and needy, just the slick slide of idling tongues and slowly probing lips, exploring each other’s mouths and tastes. It was Leonard’s turn to pull away then, and Jim couldn’t help but notice the very obvious erection that was pressing against his thigh. He ground against Leonard again, making the doctor whimper, honest to god whimper.

“Please, don’t. Not unless you mean it,” Leonard murmured against the shell of Jim’s ear.

“Oh, I mean it, alright. I wasn’t joking when I said I wanted you,” Jim promised, seriously.

Leonard rested his forehead against Jim’s then, hand sliding and stroking against Jim’s side while Jim tucked his hand against the back of the doctor’s neck.

“I wanna go somewhere more private,” Leonard ground out, eyes locking with Jim’s.

Jim grinned then, skin crinkling around his eyes as he did so. He remained silent, however, merely leading Leonard from the bar, waving to the table of Enterprise crew as he passed.

“Catch you tomorrow, guys,” he said, brightly. “Whoever won those sweepstakes had better be happy.”

Then he walked on, Leonard in hustling tow, pressing kisses against Jim’s neck and ear. Spock was as expressionless as ever, while Uhura, Gaila and Scotty were grinning from ear to ear.

“I suggest you pay up in timely manner,” Spock said, turning his bland eyed gaze upon the rest of the people at his table.

“I cannae believe you predicted something would happen tonight,” Scotty commented, still grinning.

“It seemed only logical, Mr Scott. After all, I did set things in motion yesterday,” Spock opined. “I merely sowed the necessary seeds, while Jim and McCoy are now reaping the benefits.”

“Reaping many times over, no doubt,” Gaila quipped. “The sexual tension was enough to choke a person.”

Uhura laughed at that, while Spock gave the Orion girl a raised eyebrow.


End file.
